Valtteri Bottas, Equipe Stake F1 kicks Sauber C44; Grand Prix of Austria 2024, Formula 1 World Championship
In Summary: Red Bull’s three-time Formula 1 world champion, Max Verstappen, will start the Sprint Race in first position, while McLaren’s Lando Norris is the next best competitor. This sets the stage for a weekend of intense competition between the two drivers, who currently lead the sport. The time sheets showed that the two drivers were separated by less than a tenth of a second at the end of the session. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was three tenths of a second faster and secured third position. George Russell will start in fourth place in his Mercedes. See what they and their rivals had to say.
Max Verstappen, who secured first position, expressed his satisfaction with the day’s performance. He mentioned that the car had a good start and was in favorable condition. Although there was a minor issue with the sensor during the practice session, it was quickly resolved. Verstappen highlighted the strength of the car in high-speed situations, which is crucial for this circuit. He acknowledged that there is always room for improvement and they will analyze areas for enhancement. Verstappen is eager to see how the car performs in the Sprint race, as it will provide an early indication of their pace for the main race. Overall, he was pleased with the start and is looking forward to the rest of the weekend.
Sergio Perez, who finished in seventh place, commented on the team’s progress throughout the day. He felt that they were making good advances from the start of the sessions to the sprint qualifying. Perez believed they had the potential to perform well, but circumstances, such as Esteban blocking his path during Q3, hindered his ability to show his true pace. Despite the setback, Perez remains confident that tomorrow will bring better results and they can make up ground in their home race.
Christian Horner, CEO and team principal of Red Bull, shared his positive outlook on the day’s events. He praised Max Verstappen for delivering three impressive laps. However, he expressed disappointment with Checo’s performance, attributing it to being blocked by Esteban. Horner expected Perez to secure a top-five position in Q3. However, he emphasized that this track allows for overtaking opportunities due to its long straights. Horner acknowledged the growing competitiveness of McLaren and Mercedes and anticipated challenges for all teams due to the hot weather. Overall, he was pleased with Verstappen’s performance but recognized the fierce competition and eagerly awaits what tomorrow will bring.
Lando Norris, who finished in second place, expressed satisfaction with his performance in qualifying. He acknowledged that it was a closely contested session and admitted that his performance may not have been the cleanest. However, he managed to deliver a strong lap at the end and secure a positive starting position for tomorrow’s sprint race. He also mentioned that the team will continue to strive for better results.
Oscar Piastri, who finished in third place, described his effort as not bad. He acknowledged that there are some corners where improvements can be made, but overall, he was happy with his performance in the qualifying for the Sprint race. He expressed optimism about the team’s position for the next race and mentioned that they will work hard overnight to prepare for the exciting competition ahead.
Andrea Stella, team principal, reflected on the challenging Sprint qualifying session. He mentioned that stringing together consistent laps was not easy and finding the right position on the out-laps required some work. He emphasized the importance of being cautious with traffic on the track. Despite the difficulties, he highlighted the positive result of securing the second and third positions on the grid for the Sprint race. He expressed the team’s intention to seize this opportunity and fight for victory. Stella also acknowledged the competitiveness of the field, with teams like Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes being very close. He emphasized the need to maximize all aspects, including car performance, driver skills, and team execution, to achieve the best possible result in the next race.
George Russell: “The soft tire seemed very impressive, and my lap was strong. I was a bit surprised by the difference compared to P1, but I probably pushed too aggressively on the out lap. That may have slightly reduced the tire’s maximum grip. From inside the car, it seemed like the best lap of the session, so that probably explains why we backed off a bit. P4 is still a respectable position to start the Sprint tomorrow. We are in contention for the podium. Our focus, of course, is on qualifying and the Grand Prix, but this is just further confirmation that we are on the right track and mixing it up near the front.”
Lewis Hamilton: “I faced some challenges during today’s Sprint qualifying. The practice was smooth and the car felt good. I don’t believe we had the pace to compete for pole position in the Sprint, but we probably had more speed than we showed. I wasn’t satisfied with any of my laps, and the Sprint qualifying was a quite chaotic session. The Sprint race tomorrow will be demanding. It’s not easy to overtake on this track, and starting in P6 makes it difficult for us. If it’s an incident-free race, I think we won’t be able to make significant progress. However, we will give our best. Nonetheless, our main focus is, of course, on qualifying later this afternoon and the race on Sunday.”
Andrew Shovlin, Track Engineering Director: “We had a solid FP1. Both cars completed a substantial amount of work on long runs, and with the hard tires, we were looking comparable to Barcelona in terms of competitiveness. The Sprint qualifying was relatively smooth, although in SQ3, we were the first ones out on track. It was important not to risk missing the checkered flag, but it made it difficult to take advantage of the track evolution. We were expecting a slightly better result than P4 and P6, but our performance on the soft compound was not strong enough to challenge for higher positions. Lewis suffered some damage to the floor and was not satisfied with his laps. George felt he needed a bit more high-speed grip to go faster, so we are looking into making some improvements overnight. Our goal is to score decent points in the Sprint tomorrow morning, but it also serves as valuable preparation for the long race ahead of Sunday’s race. We also have the opportunity to adjust the car for the main qualifying after the Sprint. We know where we need to improve, so hopefully we can regain some ground and start a bit closer to the front for Sunday’s race.”
Carlos Sainz, finishing in fifth place, expressed that the afternoon was not as good as he expected. He felt the car performed well during SQ1 and SQ2 with the medium compound, but they found some weaknesses when they switched to the soft tires in SQ3. Despite this, Sainz remains optimistic and believes they still have time to make adjustments for a better qualifying session in the Grand Prix. He also mentioned his goal of scoring as many points as possible in the Sprint race.
Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, had a disappointing start to the weekend. He struggled to keep up with the pace of the faster drivers in the early stages of Sprint qualifying. In Q3, when it was time for a flying lap, he encountered an issue with the engine anti-stall while in the pit lane, which cost him valuable time and prevented him from setting a time. Despite this setback, Leclerc remains positive and sees the weekend as a whole, emphasizing the opportunity to gain positions in the Sprint race and start from scratch in the qualifying session for the Grand Prix.
Fred Vasseur, team principal of Scuderia Ferrari HP, expressed his disappointment at having one car in fifth place and the other in tenth. He acknowledged the need to analyze their performance on the soft tires, as they were competitive with the medium compound and managed to fight with Mercedes and McLaren. Vasseur also highlighted the issue of the cars bouncing in the last two fast corners, which is causing them to lose time. He emphasized the importance of giving their all in the Sprint race, as there is no mandatory pit stop, and their goal is to score good points with Carlos and Charles.
Lance Stroll, who finished in twelfth place, acknowledged that there is still work to be done with the car. However, he felt that the car improved compared to previous sessions. Stroll mentioned that he was pushing hard during his lap but made a small mistake in the last corner, which cost him a spot in Q3. He mentioned that they will analyze the data and make improvements for the Sprint race.
Fernando Alonso, finishing in thirteenth place, mentioned that the competition was fierce as expected. He expressed satisfaction with his laps in the Sprint qualifying, feeling that he extracted the maximum performance in both SQ1 and SQ2. Unfortunately, it was not enough to enter SQ3. Alonso believes that scoring points in the Sprint race will be challenging, but emphasized the importance of gathering as much information as possible from the race.
Nico Hulkenberg, finishing in seventeenth place, expressed that the competition was extremely fierce and that every small advantage mattered. He admitted to having difficulty finding a good feeling and rhythm with the car during the session. Hulkenberg acknowledged the pressure they were facing after the first lap and unfortunately, they did not have the necessary pace. He anticipated that starting behind and dealing with traffic and turbulent air would make it challenging to make any progress, unless there were mixed weather conditions like last year.
Kevin Magnussen, who finished in eleventh place, described the qualifying session as smooth and clean, with no traffic issues. He highlighted that they were the first ones on track, which provided the best track conditions. Magnussen felt that it was the first time this year that they executed a qualifying session perfectly. Although he mentioned that the car’s performance was not perfect, he believed they were reasonably competitive on a single lap with the medium tires. However, he was unsure about their performance in a longer race, and they would evaluate during the Sprint race to determine which tires to use.
Ayao Komatsu, team representative, praised Kevin’s performance and his ability to make a strong lap in SQ2. He mentioned that Kevin came very close to qualifying for SQ3 by less than five hundredths of a second. Komatsu was pleased with Kevin’s efforts and felt that he maximized the potential of the car. However, he expressed concern about Nico’s performance as he seemed dissatisfied with the car since the first practice session. Nico lacked confidence in the low-speed corners, which prevented him from pushing the car to its limit. Komatsu acknowledged the need to address these issues before the Sprint race and mentioned that the advantage of a Sprint weekend is the opportunity to make changes based on what they learn. This applies not only to Nico but also to certain aspects of Kevin’s car. Komatsu concluded by expressing his satisfaction with Kevin and his team’s performance but recognized that there is more work to be done with Nico.
Esteban Ocon, in eighth place for tomorrow’s race, expressed his satisfaction in reaching the final qualifying session (SQ3). He acknowledged the collective effort of the team in securing a place among the top ten, which was commendable. However, SQ3 presented challenges as they found themselves at the back of the queue. Fortunately, Charles Leclerc’s failure to cross the finish line in time worked in Ocon’s favor, allowing him to gain a position. However, Ocon emphasized the team’s positive performance and their advantageous position for the Sprint race. He also acknowledged the need for further improvements and understanding of the car’s dynamics but was pleased with the overall progress.
Pierre Gasly, in ninth place, also highlighted the team’s achievement of reaching Q3 in the Sprint qualifying. He praised their performance in the previous sessions, Q1 and Q2, where they showed good pace and successfully advanced. However, Gasly admitted that they did not make the most of Q3 due to a confusing session and his inability to complete a proper fast lap. He emphasized the team’s commitment to reviewing their performance and maximizing every opportunity. Despite this setback, Gasly expressed satisfaction with his consistent pace and his position among the top ten. He acknowledged the challenge of scoring points in the Sprint race, as only the top eight finishers receive points, but remained optimistic and determined to do his best.
Valtteri Bottas, in 18th place, expressed his disappointment with the car’s performance during the Sprint qualifying session. Despite having two clean laps, one of which was invalidated due to track limits, the difference in lap times was minimal. Bottas acknowledged the team’s struggle with single lap pace and anticipated a challenging race starting from the back of the grid. However, he remained hopeful for a change in setup and aimed to improve his performance in the qualifying and the following race.
Zhou Guanyu, in 20th place, had a difficult session in the Sprint qualifying. With only two laps, he went off track on the first attempt and encountered heavy traffic on the second. This made it difficult for him to set a competitive time, as the tires were already worn out after the first lap. Despite the setbacks, Zhou believed that the team would have better pace in the upcoming sessions, with his focus now on proper qualifying.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, the team representative, expressed disappointment with the Sprint qualifying session, which resulted in a low position on the grid. He emphasized the need to analyze why the team was unable to continue the positive progress made in the previous race. The short lap times in Spielberg leave no room for errors, especially in the crucial final sector. The team acknowledged its deficiencies in both performance and clean laps, which had a negative impact on their session.
The report is being compiled and will be updated soon.
© 2024
Brazilian football player Lucas Oliveira is causing a stir in the world of sports. The 25-year-old striker is in advanced negotiations with Spanish football club Real Madrid. If the transfer is completed, it will be a major blow to Brazilian club Flamengo, which is reluctant to release its star player.
Lucas Oliveira has been one of the standout players for Flamengo in recent seasons. His exceptional skill and natural talent have made him a key piece in the team’s success. However, Real Madrid is determined to bring the player to Spain and is willing to pay a record amount to secure his signing.
Negotiations between Real Madrid and Flamengo have been ongoing for several weeks. The Spanish club has already made an initial offer of €100 million for the player, but Flamengo is asking for €150 million. Both parties are trying to reach an agreement, but the negotiations have been difficult.
If the transfer is completed, it will be a milestone in Lucas Oliveira’s career. He will have the opportunity to play for one of the biggest football clubs in the world and compete in the prestigious Champions League. Additionally, he will have the chance to play alongside some of the best players in the world, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
Meanwhile, Flamengo fans are divided over the possible transfer. Some believe that Lucas Oliveira should stay at the club and continue to help the team achieve success. Others, however, recognize that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the player and support his decision to join Real Madrid.
There is still no set date for the conclusion of the negotiations. Both clubs are working hard to reach an agreement that is beneficial for both parties. Meanwhile, football fans around the world eagerly await to see if Lucas Oliveira will become the newest player for Real Madrid.
